Stocking



June 2, 1953 a. D. DOWELL 2,640,339

STOCKING Filed April 25, 1952 INVENTOR. Geozye Q. $01081! PwJwPcwL ATTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1953 STOCKING George D. Dowell, Winston-Salem, N. 0., assignor to Hanes Hosiery Mills Company, Winston- Salem, N. 0., a corporation of North Carolina Application April 25, 1952, Serial No. 284,327

4 Claims.

This invention relates to stockings. More specifically it is concerned with seamless ladies stockings of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,501,353, granted to Albert E. Page on March 21, 1950, wherein the fabric of the leg and instep portions are formed with tuck stitches along diagonal lines in alternate courses and adjacent needle wales extend along diagonal lines, the heel pocket and the upwardly extended portion thereabove being of plain knitted fabric.

The chief aim of my invention is to provide a stocking of this type wherein the tuck knitting extends throughout the fabric except in the heel and toe pockets, and wherein the high heel area above the heel pocket is reinforced by a splicing yarn which is interknitted with the main yarn and of which floats extend, across the tucked loops formed from said main yarn to augment the run-inhibiting characteristics of the fabric in said area.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a seamless ladys stocking conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view on a larger scale of the fabric of the stocking within the rectangle II in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 1 and showing an alternative embodiment.

As exemplified in Fig. 1, my improved stocking has a turned welt It at the top, a gore heel pocket H and a gore toe pocket l2 all of which, it is to be understood, are of plain knitted reinforced fabric with normal loops. The remainder of the stocking, i. e. the leg l3 and the instep M are of fabric which is resistant to running walewise in one direction, such as disclosed in the Page patent hereinbefore referred to in which, see Fig. 2, tuck stitches l5 occur in alternate courses along diagonal lines throughout the fabric as conventionally indicated in Fig. 1.

In accordance with my invention, the tucked fabric extends to the course l5lfi at which the knitting of the heel pocket ll begins. In addition, the stocking is formed at the back above the heel pocket H with an advance or high heel area ll whereof the narrow upper portion is defined by parallel lines I8, and the lower portion is gradually broadened in a series of steps, preferably more than three, to the full width of the heel pocket H at the course 16 and defined in the drawings by downwardly sloping stepped 2 lines l9. As shown in Fig. 2, the advance heel fabric I? is reinforced by interknitting a splicing yarn Y with the main yarn Y used in knitting of the leg and instep portions #3, M of the stocking.

In the knitting of the upper portion of the advance heel ll, the splicing yarn Y is fed to a constant number of needles to the course 20, after which needles are added to opposite ends of the original group, say every five courses, until the full heel width is attained at the course It. It is to be noted, that, in the knitting of the advance heel in accordance with my invention, floats 2! of the splicing yarn Y are formed across the tucked loops it of the main or body yarn Y. The fabric of the advance heel area I! is thus more effectively strengthened against ravelling.

It is to be understood that in practice, fine synthetic monofilament yarns of nylon or the like are employed in the knitting with consequent production of sheer stockings which are not distinguishable from plain knit stockings except upon very close inspection and which, nevertheless, are resistant to running walewise in one direction through the leg and instep portions as well as through the fabric of the advance heel area. If desired, the foot bottom of the stocking may be reinforced in the same way as the high heel area as shown at 22 in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a stocking having a leg portion and an instep portion in which tuck stitches occur in spaced courses along diagonal lines throughout the fabric; plain knitted heel and toe pockets; and a high heel area at the back above the heel pocket reinforced by a splicing yarn which is interknitted with a main yarn used in the knitting of the leg and the instep portions of the stocking, and of which floats extend across the tuck loops Of said main yarn.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a stocking having a leg portion and an instep portion in which tuck stitches occur in spaced courses along diagonal lines throughout the fabric; plain knitted heel and toe pockets; and a high heel area at the back above the heel pocket, said high heel area being narrow at the top and progressively increasing to full heel width, being reinforced by a splicing yarn which is interknitted with a main yarn used in the knitting of the leg and instep portions of the stocking, and of which floats extend across the tuck loops of said main yarn.

3. The stocking defined in claim 2 wherein the toward edge of the high heel area is constructed in the form of a. series of more than three steps.

4. The stocking defined in claim 1 wherein the foot bottom of the stocking is also reinforced by a, splicing yarn which is interknitted with a main yarn, as in the high heel area.

GEORGE D. DOWEIL.

Number Name Date Lochhead Feb. 15, 1938 

